New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Kiorona’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Kiorona’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; and large dark red-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Kiorona’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kiorona’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Impatiens cultivars with numerous large flowers and attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor of two unnamed proprietary selections of Impatiens hawkeri, not patented. The cultivar Kiorona was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings propagated in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Kiorona has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kiorona’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kiorona’ as a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large dark red-colored flowers that are positioned above and         beyond the foliage.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant size and flower color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the New Guinea Impatiens cultivar Kimptamp, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Kimptamp primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Kimptamp had flowers with more orange tones than plants of the new Impatiens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Impatiens. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kiorona’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Kiorona’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif. during the winter and early spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial New Guiena Impatiens production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C., night temperatures averaged 19° C. and light levels averaged 4,000 foot candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants were grown in one-gallon containers and were about 18 weeks old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kiorona. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Impatiens hawkeri, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Impatiens hawkeri, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at 23° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 17 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 days             at 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 days             at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white (close to 155D) to             brown (close to 163A) in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form.—Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and             mounded plant habit.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous and freely branching             habit; about ten lateral branches developing at the base;             dense and bushy growth habit. Pinching, that is, removal of             the terminal apices, is typically not required, but will             enhance branching.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 33 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 13 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Internode length: About 3.5 cm to 4 cm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Darker than 183A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite or in whorls, simple.         -   Length.—About 9 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate with ciliation.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: Darker than 147A; venation, 147C. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 185A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 183B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single axillary flowers.             Freely flowering habit; usually about seven to eight open             flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers             positioned above the foliage and typically face upright or             outward. Flowers last about one week under greenhouse             conditions. Petals self-cleaning, gynoecium persistent.             Flowers not fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse             conditions. In the garden, flowering from spring until fall             in Germany. Plants begin flowering about eight to twelve             weeks after planting.         -   Flower size.—Length: About 6.5 cm. Width: About 6.4 cm.             Depth: About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.             Shape: Ovoid; pointed. Color: 46A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower in a single             whorl. Length, banner petal: About 3.2 cm. Length, lateral             petals: About 3.3 cm. Length, lower petals: About 3.7 cm.             Width, banner petal: About 4.8 cm. Width, lateral and lower             petals: About 4.2 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Emarginate.             Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: 46A; towards the base, 46B. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: 46B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Three; one modified into an             elongated spur. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 8 mm.             Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper surface: 185B. Color, lower surface: 185D. Spur             length: About 5.5 cm. Spur diameter: At flower, about 4 mm;             at apex, less than 1 mm. Spur texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Spur color: 59A to 59B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Angle: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 59A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five fused at             anthers; filaments free. Anther size: About 4 mm by 7 mm.             Anther color: 10B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             11D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             6 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 145D. Style             color: 144A. Ovary color: 144A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to New Guinea     Impatiens. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from about 16° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Kiorona’ as illustrated and described. 